Debate Event Rules

Congressional Debate

• Speakers compete in a mock legislative assembly competition. Competitors draft resolutions (position statements), which they and their peers later debate and vote to pass into law by voting for or against the legislation.

• Competitors should elect a Presiding Officer each round. Secret balloting is used when voting for Presiding Officer. The Presiding Officer must be elected with a majority of the vote: if one candidate does not receive a majority of votes, eliminate the candidate with the fewest votes and vote again. If candidates are tied for the fewest number of votes, vote to determine which of the tied candidates should remain in contention. Repeat this process until one candidate receives a majority.

• Competitors are not required to speak during the round. Each round should be extended long enough to provide an opportunity for every competitor in the chamber a chance to speak, if they desire to do so.

• When more than one speaker seeks the floor, the Presiding Officer must follow the precedence/recency method:

  1) First recognize competitors who have not spoken during the session.

  2) Next recognize competitors who have spoken fewer times.

  3) Then recognize competitors who spoke earlier (least recently).

• Before precedence is established, the Presiding Officer should recognize speakers fairly and consistently. They may not link recognition of speakers to previous recognition of competitors asking questions, moving motions, or longest standing (standing time). Before precedence is established, the Presiding Officer should explain their recognition process and it must be fair, consistent, and justifiable.

• Judges should include answers to questions when evaluating speeches.

• A speaker may yield time on the floor during debate (for questions or clarifications) but that speaker will remain in control of their three minutes.

• The first negative speech must also be followed by two minutes of questions.

• Following the first two speeches on legislation, the Presiding Officer will alternately recognize affirmative and negative speakers, who will address the chamber for up to three minutes, followed by one minute of questioning by other delegates. If no one wishes to oppose the preceding speaker, the Presiding Officer may recognize a speaker upholding the same side.

• When no one seeks the floor for debate, the Presiding Officer may ask the chamber if they are “ready for the question,” at which point, if there is no objection, voting may commence on the legislation itself.

• The Presiding Officer should fairly and equitably recognize members to ask questions following each speech. The Presiding Officer should start timing questioning periods once they have recognized the first questioner, and keep the clock running continuously until the time has lapsed.

• All major voting (such as the main motion/legislation) which a Congressperson’s constituents should have a record of, shall be done with a counted vote.

• Visual aids are permitted in Congressional Debate.

Lincoln-Douglas Debate

• Resolution: The resolution will be one requiring a value judgment. Tournaments will use the current NSDA Lincoln-Douglas topic for the month in which the competition occurs. Refer to Rostrum or www.speechanddebate.org/topics for the current topic. No substitution of competitors is permitted once the tournament has begun. Excessive speaking speed is discouraged.

• Timing: Debaters may time themselves and their opponents.

• The use of Internet and/or computers is permitted

• Order of Speeches in LD:

Affirmative Constructive - 6 minutes

Cross-Examination - 3 minutes

Negative Constructive - 7 minutes

Cross-Examination -3 minutes

Affirmative Rebuttal - 4 minutes

Negative Rebuttal - 6 minutes

Affirmative Rebuttal - 3 minutes

Prep Time - 4 minutes per debater

Public Forum Debate

• Public Forum Debate focuses on advocacy of a position derived from the issues presented in the resolution, not a prescribed set of burdens. The Tournament will use the current NSDA Public Forum topic for the month in which the competition occurs. If a tournament needs to use a different topic than the one outlined by NSDA, the Tournament Director must notify at least one month before the tournament. Refer to Rostrum or www.speechanddebate.org/topics for the current topic. Excessive speaking speed is discouraged by the league.

• Entries: No substitution of competitors is permitted once the tournament has begun.

• Following the first two constructive speeches, the two debaters who have just given speeches will stand and participate in a three-minute “crossfire”. In “crossfire” both debaters “hold the floor.” However, the speaker who spoke first must ask the first question. After that question, either debater may question and/or answer at will. At the conclusion of the summary speeches, all four debaters will remain seated and participate in a three-minute Grand Crossfire in which all four debaters are allowed to cross-examine one another. The speaker who gave the first summary speech must ask the first question.

Order of Speeches in Public Forum Debate:

First Speaker – Team A - 4 minutes

First Speaker – Team B - 4 minutes

Crossfire - 3 minutes

Second Speaker – Team A - 4 minutes

Second Speaker – Team B - 4 minutes

Crossfire - 3 minutes

Summary – First Speaker – Team A - 3 minutes

Summary – First Speaker – Team B - 3 minutes

Grand Crossfire - 3 minutes

Final Focus – Second Speaker – Team A - 2 minutes

Final Focus – Second Speaker – Team B - 2 minutes

Prep Time - 3 minutes per team

• Timing: Debaters may time themselves and their opponents. The use of Internet and/or computers is permitted.

• New arguments are not permitted after the second Crossfire speech.

IPDA Debate

• IPDA debate consists of one-on-one debate focused around a specified resolution which varies each round. Unless otherwise specified in these bylaws or the tournament invitation, the PSDA tournament will follow current IPDA bylaws for tournament competition.

• IPDA at PSDA tournaments will not allow group preparation.

Division Rules

Professional Division

• Ages 18 and up are eligible for professional division.

College Division

• Ages 18 and up are eligible for college division.

High School Division

• Ages 14 to 18 are eligible for high school division.

Junior Division

• Ages 10 to 14 are eligible for junior division.

Elementary Division

• Ages 10 and under are eligible for elementary division.

Tournament Rules

• Competitors may enter in up to 3 speech and/or SPAR events.

• Competitors may only enter in 1 debate event.

• No school or team affiliation is required to compete.

• Props and costumes are permitted in any event.

• Use of the internet is permitted in any event at any time.

• Events with 8 or more competitors will advance 4 competitors to an elimination round.

• Events with 16 or more entries will advance 8 competitors to 2 elimination rounds.

• Events with 32 or more entries will advance 16 competitors to 3 elimination rounds.

Judge Rules

• Judges must be qualified to judge all five PSDA events.

• No person who is currently coaching a PSDA competitor can work as a judge or tournament staff.

• All judge ballots are subject to review following each tournament. Feedback and judge pool changes will be made based on these reviews.

• PSDA competitors may serve as judges within the same season, but then are no longer allowed to compete in the remainder of that season.

• Judges that are alumni from any team competing in the PSDA are not allowed to judge the entire division their former team is entered in.